Minister for
Defence Materiel Jason Clare has announced the first three Air Warfare
Destroyer (AWD) blocks fabricated by Newcastle shipbuilder Forgacs Engineering
have started their journey to Adelaide.

The blocks
will be transported from Forgacs Tomago Shipyard by barge and two tugs along
the North Arm of the Hunter River.

The barge
will then be transferred to a single ocean going tug, which will tow the blocks
through Newcastle Harbour and on to the Government of South Australia’s Common
User Facility at Techport. The blocks will arrive in just over a week,
depending on weather conditions.

“Forgacs are
building around half the blocks for these ships. They are doing outstanding
work on some of the most advanced warships in the world,” Mr Clare said.

“Last week I
attended the keel-laying ceremony in Adelaide for the first destroyer Hobart.
The ceremony was a significant milestone in the AWD project and marked the
start of the next phase in the delivery of these warships,” Mr Clare said.

Forgacs are
constructing 44 blocks for the AWD project, including 14 blocks for the first
destroyer. The remaining Forgacs blocks for the first AWD will arrive in
Adelaide over the next 12 months.

The AWD
project directly employs more than 2,500 people, with almost 700 based in
Newcastle.

The AWD will
have anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capability and will be
able to embark a helicopter at sea.